Derek Chisora Grateful For Shot At Tyson Fury Saturday

It isn’t often that a fighter with double digit losses, including two already to the man he’s fighting Saturday night, gets a third shot at a heavyweight crown. But, that’s the case for Derek “War” Chisora.

And, at Thursday afternoon’s final press conference in London, Chisora made clear that he is grateful for the shot with WBC king Tyson Fury that the “Gypsy King,” didn’t have to offer,

Enter the king! @Tyson_Fury takes the mic at the top of the hour 👑🗣 https://t.co/UcVl71cLO3

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 1, 2022

“He’s giving me opportunity, when Frank Warren didn’t want to give me opportunity, when Bob Arum said he didn’t want to give me opportunity, when even my old promoter, Eddie Hearn, didn’t want to give me opportunity,” Chisora said Thursday.

“He (Fury) called me up and said: ‘I want to fight you. I want to give you a big payday.’ And I said yes, let’s make it happen. And for me to sit here and talk sh*t and try to say bad things about this man (looking at Fury), who’s actually giving me food on the table for my kids, I cannot. Do you understand? 

All these guys in the game. Frank, all these guys, didn’t want me to be on this stage…. but come Saturday, guarantee you this- friendship will be out the door. Me and this big man are going to get it on.”

Fury is massively favored

Fury, 32-0-1, 23 KOs, was last in the ring in April scoring a thunderous KO of Dillian Whyte before a record U.K. crowd of 94,000+ fans at Wembley Stadium. He had continued to maintain that he was done with boxing, but not many took that seriously. Fury is regarded as the best heavyweight in the world having previously beaten WBC champ Deontay Wilder by KO in February 2020 and again by KO in their fight in October 2021.

As for Chisora, 33-12, 23 KOs, he’s been around as a contender/opponent for a myriad of heavyweights, having lost to Dillian Whyte twice, Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk and even, Fury twice prior. This, as Fury stopped Chisora in the 10th round in November 2014 and earlier in their careers, Fury won by 12 round decision July 2011.

The 38 year old Chisora stopped a three fight losing streak by beating fellow aging vet Kubrat Pulev by 12 round, split decision on July 9th.

Now, he gets his shot, again, at Fury, in a bout that almost no one is giving him any shot to last more than a few rounds, much less win.

But, as Thursday indicated Chisora has no problem being doubted, he’s got one final massive stage and he’s ready to do whatever he can for however long it lasts to try to make it interesting.